Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Will Jos Buttler play in the Pakistan T20 series? | Update on whether Jos Buttler will feature in the Pakistan T20I series
English skipper Jos Buttler could return for the last couple of games of the team’s ongoing seven-match T20I series vs Pakistan. Head coach Matthew Mott has, however, conceded that the team management is unwilling to take a risk with Buttler.
“With regard to Jos, he’s still a while off, he’s not a player we want to take a risk on at this stage, so close to the World Cup, and it was a reasonably significant injury that he had,” Mott was quoted in a press conference after Pakistan’s victory in the fourth T20I of the series.
He added, “So, he’s champing at the bit for a game, but we’ll just try and see how we go and maybe in the last game or two we might give him a chance.”
Jos Buttler “still a while away”, making return in Pakistan series a tough prospect
Tied 2-2 currently, this series is being largely perceived as a major assignment for both sides as they gear up to head into the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
Buttler has been in an indifferent run of form in T20Is this year as he has amassed merely 87 runs in six innings so far. His return to form and the setup in general is essential as England look to fare well in the World Cup in the coming month. The team has struggled in the limited-overs formats this year as it is dealing with a host of injury issues and form-related concerns to instrumental players.
The bowling unit is missing frontline pacers whereas Jason Roy’s poor form created a vacuum in the top-order that the management is looking to fill appropriately in the 11th hour. The fourth T20I was a close contest between the two opponents as England fell short of the 167-run target by merely three runs. Liam Dawson’s 34 off 17 deliveries threatened to take the game away from Pakistan’s hands though Haris Rauf managed to pull the game back in Pakistan’s favour eventually.
Mott reflected upon the team’s performance and explained, “Taking wickets in the powerplay put us on the back foot, it took a really good partnership to get us back in it. Liam’s knock was special. It took everyone by surprise, we didn’t think in our wildest dreams we’d get in that position. It just shows in T20 cricket you’ve never got it done.”
Regardless of his recent form in T20Is, Buttler was in imperious touch during the Indian Premier League (IPL). He notched 864 runs and four centuries in a season in which the Rajasthan Royals (RR) finished as the runners-up. The English think-tank will be banking on Buttler to replicate a similar touch as they harbour hopes of lifting the World T20 title for the second time in the tournament’s history.
